Along with the lectures, the Forum will convert Jerez into a veritable capital of gastronomy with a full programme of tastings, show-cooking and demonstrations, a great shop window of Sherry brands and exclusive activities in the bodegas.
Jerez de la Frontera, 26 May 2017 The Copa Jerez Forum and Competition is counting down the days to its most ambitious edition yet. Every two years the wines of the Sherry district have been highlighting their close links to haute cuisine by way of the International Final of the Copa Jerez. From now on this natural harmony between Sherry wines and the most prestigious dishes is taking a step beyond the competition and will be extensively enhanced with presentations and practical demonstrations by some of the greatest figures of international gastronomy.
On the 12th and 13th of June sommeliers and chefs as renowned as Josep Roca, Andoni Aduriz, Ricard Camarena, François Chartier and Ángel León will be answering the call of the Consejo Regulador for Sherry to examine the gastronomic value of these wines in depth. Amongst this roll of great names, there are two restaurants in the top ten of the World’s 50 Best, one of which, the Celler Can Roca has twice been voted best restaurant in the world. There can also be found up to eight Michelin Stars with restaurants like Mugaritz, Aponiente and Ricard Camarena.
This combination of the kitchen, the dining room and the wines of Jerez creates a whole new concept of a gastronomic congress, differentiating it from other great events. On one hand, the various lectures are accompanied by a proper tasting, such that those attending can obtain a practical understanding of each lecture from the leading lights of gastronomy. On the other hand it is all about closeness, with no more than 150 people in the auditorium one can get close to the lecturer and interact with other people attending.
As an example of the innovative format of the Copa Jerez Forum, the first day of the congress will close with an unscripted tasting of Sherry by Pitu Roca accompanied by the flamenco guitar of Diego del Morao. Gastronomy, unique wines specially selected from the butt by the sommelier of El Celler de Can Roca*** himself and flamenco, all in one. This tasting/concert is called De Tal Palo, Tal Jerez, and will consist of nine oenological jewels harmonised with flamenco guitar in the emblematic venue of the cloisters of the church of Santo Domingo. A range of wines which reminds one of the age old history of the Sherry district - some of them are not even on the market – and allows us to see into the future showing us that in Jerez history is still being made.
The ability of Sherry to perfectly match the various ingredients of a dish is very hard to find in other wines of the world,
Josep Roca has pronounced, explaining that they form a fundamental pillar upon which he has built the cellar of Can Roca.
Ángel León, the standard bearer of vanguard Andalusian haute cuisine, with his radical menu which is all about the sea, will be accompanied by his sommelier Juan Ruiz to highlight the fundamental role of Sherry in his restaurant in El Puerto de Santa María. “The path of evolution followed by Aponiente has always involved Sherry” says León, who considers this Copa Jerez Forum “necessary to promote the wines and to make Jerez a reference point and focal point where the world’s gastronomic gurus can gather”.
The growing prominence of the wines of Jerez in a menu as singular as that of Mugaritz** will be the central theme of the lecture by its chef, Andoni Luís Aduriz and the sommelier, Guillermo Cruz, for whom “Jerez and its wines are at last getting the attention they have deserved for centuries. Time is the canvas on which the uniqueness of Sherry and the culinary vanguard are written in eternal letters. Today they form part of our culture, our history and our gastronomy. This Forum is proof of that”.
Other thought-provoking lectures at the Copa Jerez Forum will be that of Ricard Carmena, who will show his restaurant’s complete list of Sherries and how it is used in the kitchen by his research and development team, or a talk by François Chartier, one of the greatest specialists in molecular matching, or the significance of Sherry in the story of El Bulli, related by Ferrán Centelles, a close collaborator of Juli Soler.
Another aspect of the Forum will promote dialogues between oenologists who will address themes such as the importance of the vineyards in Sherry, the uniqueness of the vintage Sherries and future developments in biological ageing. Those participating will be Montserrat Molina of Bodegas Barbadillo, Eduardo Ojeda of Grupo Estévez, Willy Pérez of Bodegas Luis Pérez, Ramiro Ibáñez of Bodegas Cota 45, Paola Medina of Bodegas Williams & Humbert and Antonio Flores of Bodegas González Byass.
Along with all these magnificent events, the Copa Jerez Forum will be hosting live demonstrations, debates, workshops and other wine-related activities with internationally renowned sommeliers in a programme exclusively aimed at professionals. Throughout, profound wine knowledge will be contrasted to experimental gastronomy using the various harmonies suggested in each activity.
As a reward for two intensive days of gastronomy and Sherry wine, a huge showroom of bodegas and their brands will offer those attending an even greater experience with some 200 Sherries available for tasting, poured by their producers. People will also be able to learn in depth about the winemaking patrimony of Jerez de la Frontera, its bodega culture and its cuisine via exclusive activities in bodegas, wine shops and restaurants throughout the city.
Monday 12th June
MORNING – BODEGA SAN GINES
9.30 – Josep Roca (El Celler de Can Roca***)
“Sherry and El Celler: Life between roots, chalk and albariza”
10.30 - Dialogues between Oenologists I: Eduardo Ojeda & Ramiro Ibáñez
“The earliest vineyards in Spain are regaining their prominence”
11.00 - Ferrán Centelles (Sommelier of the El Bulli Foundation)
“Sherry and El Bulli: the legacy of Juli Soler”
11.50 - Ángel León & Juan Ruiz (Aponiente**)
“The “generous” host”
12.40 – Tables of the world & Sherry I: Ödenturm (Germany), Falsled Kro (Denmark), En Rama (United States)
13.10 – Ricard Camarena (Ricard Camarena)
“A contemporary look at the wines of Jerez from the kitchen”
AFTERNOON – BODEGA SAN GINES
17.00 - François Chartier, Best Sommelier in the World 1994
“Molecular food matching and Sherry”
17.50 Tables of the world & Sherry II: Casa Marcial (Spain), Podium onder de Dom (Holland), The Ritz London (UK)
18.20 – Dialogues between Oenologists II: Montserrat Molina & Luis Pérez
“New horizons in biological ageing”
19.00 - Dialogues between Oenologists III: Paola Medina & Antonio Flores
“Alternatives to the solera: Vintage Sherry, a future option”
19.30 - Andoni Luís Aduriz & Guillermo Cruz (Mugaritz **)
EVENING - CLAUSTROS DE SANTO DOMINGO TASTING/CONCERT
21.30 – Josep Roca (El Celler de Can Roca***)
Diego del Morao – Guitar
Tasting/Concert “De tal palo tal Jerez”
Tuesday 13th June
MORNING – BODEGA SAN GINES
9.30 - José Antonio Pavón & César Saldaña
“Harmony workshop: Jabugo ham and Sherry”
10.15 – Guillermina Sánchez (El Cultivo dairy)
“Harmony workshop: artisan cheeses and Sherry”
11.00 – Julio Vázquez (El Campero)
“Cooking almadraba tuna without frontiers”
11.30 – Fernando Córdoba (El Faro de El Puerto) and Tsunahachi (Tokyo)
“Tempura vs Fritura: Tokyo and Cádiz, two visions”
12.10 – Tasting of Tempura and Fritura with biologically aged wines
12.30 – Bodegas and Brands showroom
EVENING – CLAUSTROS DE SANTO DOMINGO
21.00 –VII Copa Jerez prizegiving ceremony
21.45 – Gala dinner and flamenco spectacular
Any professionals interested in attending this gastronomic forum will find all the information on the different subscription formats on the website: www.copajerez.com where they will also be able to purchase accreditation, which is essential to enjoy all the activities.
- Descarga el programa Oficial de Copa Jerez Forum 2017
